Supervisors info:
Οικονόμου-Αμίλλη Αθηνά, Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Βιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Παρμακέλης Αριστείδης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Βιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Φουντουλάκη Ελένη, Ερευνήτρια Β’, ΕΛ.ΚΕ.Θ.Ε
Summary:
The subkingdom of green plants (Viridiplantae) is one of the most dominant groups of primary producers on Earth. They include "green" algae, as well as embryophytes, commonly known as land plants. "Green" algae are highly diverse and widespread in aquatic and terrestrial environments and played a crucial role in the world ecosystem for hundreds of millions of years (Falkowski et al. 2004, O’Kelly 2007, Leliaert et al. 2011). On the contrary, land plants are essentially structural biological components of earth ecosystems (Lewis & McCourt 2004, O’Kelly 2007).
Microalgae are (1) particularly variable, (2) often autotrophic and (3) quite unexplored. They also have particular characteristics in their physiology, making them very useful in the pharmaceutical industry, human nutrition, aquaculture, etc. The taxonomic, biochemical and molecular identification of these strains is essential, as it is the first step in their optimal use for both scientific as well as industrial purposes.
In the presented diploma thesis the isolation, cultivation, and biochemical and molecular determination of eleven (11) microalgae strains were carried out, which originate from coastal systems of the Eastern Mediterranean, and were deposited at the Microalgae Bank of the Department of Ecology and Taxonomy (Faculty of Biology, NKUA). The strains deployed in this Bank are potentially the basis for their potential exploitation in aquaculture, industry or biofuel production. The results of this diploma thesis have made it possible to rank at the level of the majority of the selected strains. Specifically, eight (8) of the strains were taxonomically included in the genus Tetraselmis in the family Chlorodendrophyceae, while the remaining three (3) in the Trebouxiophyceae family, and in particular ihn the genera Picochlorum, or Nannochloris. In addition, with the analysis of the biochemical profile of fatty acids and pigments, the characterization of the strains has been completed so that these can be used in the future for further scientific and commercial purposes.
Finally, this work opens up new perspectives for the systematic and ecological study of microalgae and indicates the need for upgrading the keys used for their morphological observation. Moreover, the search for more appropriate genes for a molecular phylogenetic study is necessary and for further exploring the mechanisms that affect the differentiation and evolution of these organisms in whatever environment they survive.
Keywords:
phytoplankton, microalgae, biodiesel, aquaculture, fatty acids, phylogeny, eastern Mediterranean